Planet Weekend Picks, Oct. 18-20

(l-r) Tanya Thai McBride and Amy Kim Waschke in The White Snake. Photo: T. Charles Erickson
(l-r) Tanya Thai McBride and Amy Kim Waschke in The White Snake. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Friday, October 18

Christine Pelosi Visits the Whig-Cliosophic Society – Author and activist Christine Pelosi, daughter of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, will be giving a lecture entitled “Campaign Bootcamp: Leadership Lessons from Candidates on the Trail and Women on the Run.” Following the lecture, she will be signing copies of her book. 7 p.m.,  Whig Hall Senate Chamber, Princeton University. Free.

Sound Bites Featuring Jesse Fischer and Soul Cycle – Jesse Fischer was born and raised in Princeton. Jesse Fischer & Soul Cycle will perform at the Arts Council of Princeton and demonstrate various techniques during their performance including a display on how to use a vocoder in modern jazz. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Special offer: Bring your receipt from any Terra Momo restaurant (Mediterra, Teresa Caffe or Eno Terra) from that evening and receive one free admission to the show per dinner entree. After the show, bring your ticket from the “Sound Bites” concert to Mediterra and receive one free tapas. Concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets $10, $8 for Arts Council members, seniors and students.

The White Snake at McCarter Theatre –  Tony Award-winning director and playwright Mary Zimmerman transform the Matthews stage of McCarter Theatre with her production of The White Snake, based by the classic Chinese fable. Runs  through November 3.  Performances this weekend at 8 p.m. Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday.  Tickets $20 and up. www.mccarter.org

I Grew Up in Princeton World Premiere – Screening of the documentary about Princeton by Brad Mays. Performing Arts Center at Princeton High School, 8 p.m. Tickets $12 at the door.

Saturday, October 19

Area Farmers’ Markets – Montgomery Friends of Open Space, Village Shopping Center, 1340 Route 206 South, Skillman, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market, Vaughn Drive Parking Lot, Princeton Junction Train Station, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

433Jack-o-lantern Contest Drop-off at Morven – In the spirit of Halloween, Morven Museum is hosting a jack-o-lantern contest. Carve your pumpkins at home and drop them off at Morven this Saturday and Sunday between noon and 4 p.m. Then, visit during the contest (Tues. 10/19 – Tues. 10/29) to see the jack-o-lanterns lit up on the front lawn and to vote for your favorite.

Paint Out at the Historical Society of Princeton – Art al Fresco! The Arts Council´s new Paint Out program use The Historical Society of Princeton’s Updike Farmstead as a studio for an afternoon of painting. The public is invited to visit and observe artists at work. Bring a picnic lunch. Admission $4.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Light The Night Walk – The walk funds treatments that are saving the lives. Friends, families and co-workers form fundraising teams and consumers help by donating at retail outlets. During this leisurely walk, Champions For Cures carry illuminated balloons – white for survivors, red for supporters and gold in memory of loved ones lost to cancer. PDT Studio at Forrestal Village, 116 Rockingham Row, 5 to 10 p.m.

Beyond Words: An Evening to Benefit Princeton Public Library – Tickets are still available for the conversation portion of the annual benefit hosted by The Friends of Princeton Public Library. The conversation is between New Yorker editor David Remnick and poet Paul Muldoon. Nassau Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. Tickets to the talk are $25 and can be purchased online from the library.

Sunday, October 20

scarecrowsFall Harvest Festival at Terhune Orchards – Kids activities, apple and pumpkin picking, food tents, live music. 330 Cold Soil Road in Lawrenceville, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Kickoff Celebration for Princeton Reads! – Garbage bag run from Princeton High School to Hinds Plaza, where a pep rally to kick off Princeton Reads will take place. Garbage bags, like the one worn by Pat Peoples, the main character in “Silver Linings Playbook,” will be provided at the starting line of the run, which begins at 10 a.m. Children 10 and under are welcome to ride scooters or bikes. Strollers and wagons are welcome, too. All participants in the run will be entered into a drawing where two winners will receive a voucher for two tickets to a 2013 Princeton University football home game of their choice. Winners will be selected at the pep rally on Hinds Plaza that starts at 11 a.m.

Scarecrows in the Village – Since 1999, residents have been decorating the Village of Lawrenceville with scarecrows for Halloween. Make your own scarecrow and celebrate the autumn harvest. Music, food, pumpkin painting and more. Weeden Park in Lawrenceville, Craven Lane and Route 206, 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Free.